Chunnilal Lalwani

Combining vertical and horizontal collaboration for transport optimisation

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to focuss on customer driven supply chains and what this means for the management of freight transport, a key process in the supply chain as it acts as a physical link between customers and suppliers. It aims to assess whether some of the new collaborative models for transport management are delivering better optimised solutions. Design/methodology/approach – The paper is based on a multi-dimensional methodological approach, which includes empirical, model building, opinion and archival evidence. Much of the thinking and findings in this paper have been derived from a series of quasi-delphi discussion sessions with logistics industry experts from three sectors, steel, grocery and construction and experienced academics in the fields of logistics and supply chain management. Findings – The paper sets out to argue that new innovative solutions are emerging for better transport optimisation, that exploit the competitive power of collaboration, both vertically with supply chain partners and horizontally with other logistics service providers (LSPs). Research limitations/implications – The research was largely focused on the road freight transport industry in the UK and Europe. However, it is felt that similar thinking can be deployed in other settings for alternative transport modes and other geographical regions. From an academic perspective the paper contributes to the notion that supply chain management as well as focussing on vertical coordination and process integration also needs to incorporate the potential considerable power of horizontal collaboration. Originality/value – In particular it is original in that it highlights how important it is to combine vertical collaboration with horizontal collaboration if better optimised transport solutions are to be achieved. This is of considerable value and interest both to practitioner and academic communities. Document Options: Content access View HTML View PDF (324kb) References References (75) Further reading Related items Key readings Marked list Add to: Session Reprints & permissions Request

Measures for auditing performance and integration in closed‐loop supply chains

Purpose – In a growing number of competitive sectors with closed‐loop supply chains, the reverse component has become an inherent part of the business, not to mention a core competence; hence the need to have performance measures that can be used to provide an accurate diagnosis of the state of the supply chain by addressing both its forward and its reverse components. It is also important to identify the level of existing integration between parties, as this has been associated with supply chain performance. This paper seeks to address this issue.Design/methodology/approach – Elements gathered from the literature reviewed are used to present a set of measures that can be applied for auditing purposes in: the forward supply chain; product returns and reverse logistics; flows of materials and information and integration between supply chain tiers. To illustrate the use of the proposed set of measures for auditing purposes a case study involving a major European mobile phone network operator was analysed us...

Using e-business to enable customised logistics sustainability

Purpose – This paper seeks to analyse and propose how e‐business can be coupled with different logistics strategies to achieve customized logistics sustainability (CLS).Design/methodology/approach – In this paper, a conceptual model for CLS has been developed and, using four cases from industry, the model is further enhanced and validated.Findings – Three main streams in supply chains, namely collaboration, dissolution, and innovation, are identified in a customised logistics domain. In each of the three streams, e‐business and relationship configurations are discussed in detail. Using four case examples, the research presented in this paper demonstrates how e‐business performance has hindered or improved the performance of customised logistics provision. A performance measurement (PM) system (efficacy, effectiveness and efficiency (E3) to evaluate the CLS has been proposed.Research limitations/implications – The E3 PM system development in this paper is based on current research on performance in the lit...

A simulation study of despatch bay performance in the steel processing industry

The despatch bay is a critical interface within an organisation, linking the warehousing and transport operations. However, delays here have wider supply chain implications given that the flow of materials through the supply chain is disrupted. Despite this, there has been little research on improvement activities to this process. This paper uses a case study of a steel processor to develop a simulation model to test strategies for increasing despatch bay productivity. From the simulation results, it was found that a combination of improvements were needed, to both reduce process times and ensure the earlier receipt of orders. The research approach presented in this paper can be used in other business environments having similar operating conditions.